Aussie players mourn young cancer victim

The Australian cricket team is wearing black armbands in the third ODI against New Zealand in memory of young cancer victim Riley Macnee.

Riley was one of the team's biggest fans and had a close relationship with several of the players, including David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch.

Riley passed away on January 28, aged 12, having battled cancer for much of his life. He was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive strain of cancer, at three years old.

He had twice beaten the cancer, and had been in remission for several years, before it returned last June. Soon after Maxwell visited him in hospital and they soon formed a special bond.

"Absolutely devastated to hear of the passing of young Riley yesterday after losing his long battle with cancer," Maxwell wrote on social media.

"Such a bright and happy kid taken from this world far too soon.

"I feel very lucky to have been able to meet such a brave and positive young man.

"Despite the cancer taking his life, he had defeated it twice already in his short life before it becoming too much for his body to handle.

"I will be wearing a black arm band for you Riley in the next game, but you will always be in my memories as that happy kid who loved to talk cricket!"

Cricket – and the Australian cricket team – were Riley's inspirations. A wicketkeeper with the Boronia Cricket Club in Melbourne, he was well known to turn up at training having come straight from radiation therapy.

He joined the Australia Test team in Hobart last November for a training session organised by the Make-A-Wish foundation. He was presented with a signed shirt from captain Steve Smith, having swapped 'keeping tips with Peter Nevill, helped Warner organise his kit bag and joined in the warm-ups.

"He absolutely loves his cricket. He's continued to play all through treatment," his mother Erin told News Ltd at the time.

"He'd go straight from radiation to go straight down to playing a game of cricket. That's what's kept him going.

"David Warner gave him a signed pair of gloves, he's been in change room handling all the bats and been doing a bit of wicket keeping.

"The smile on his face has been amazing."

Riley was Warner's guest at the MCG one-dayer against New Zealand, where he celebrated with the team in the change rooms after they secured a Chappell-Hadlee clean sweep.

A GoFundMe page for the Macnee Family has been set up here